Four Cheese Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

24 large shell pasta
1- 16 oz container ricotta cheese
1 C Gay Lea Nordica 2% cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 C shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of coarse sea salt
1- 26 oz jar marinara sauce
1/2 C 35% heavy cream


Directions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in pasta shells and cook until just al dente. Drain and let cool.
• In a sauce pot, combine the marinara sauce and 1/2 C heavy cream. Heat over low heat until ready to use.
• Remove stems from spinach and submerge into a sink of cold water. Swish spinach around and carefully scoop spinach from the water, making sure to not scoop up the grit at the bottom. Place in a collander to drain.
• In a large sautee pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once oil begins to ripple, add in minced garlic and spinach. Toss to coat and season with a pinch of coarse sea salt. Let spinach cook down, stirring occasionally, until wilted; about 5 minutes. Transfer spinach to a plate to cool. Once cool place spinach into a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan, eggs, garlic powder, basil, 1/4 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper, until smooth. Stir in mozzarella and spinach. 
• Pour 1/2 C of sauce into the bottom of a very large casserole dish (or two smaller casserole dishes). Using a spoon, stuff each partly cooked pasta shell generously with filling and place into the casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 1 C mozzarella. Bake covered, in preheated 375 degree oven, for 50 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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